Girdle with relatively movable side panels



Dec. 12, 1961 I s. GRISHMAN 3,012,559

GIRDLE WITH RELATIVELY MOVABLE SIDE PANELS Filed Jan. 25, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

5mm GR/SHMHN BY United States Patent ice 3,012,559 Patented Dec. 12,1961

This invention relates to girdles fashioned from allway stretch material, at least throughout the major portion of the garment. More particularly, the invention deals with a garment of the character described, wherein the side portions are constructed fromoverlapped relatively movable panels controlling relative movement of the front and back portions of the garment, particularly ,1

at and below the hip portions of the garment in providing free bending and leg movement.

Still further, the invention deals with a garment of the character described, wherein upper edges of the panels are attached to define, between the overlapped panels, pockets opening through the lower portion of the garment.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of a garment made according to my invention, illustrating the front and rear portions of the garment arranged directly one upon the other.

FIG. 2 is a view similar in arrangement with respect to FIG. 1 but showing one side portion'of the garment.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic section on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, omitting all background showing; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic section partially on the line 44 of FIG. 2, again omitting background showing.

While a garment of the type and kind under consideration can be formed in its entirety from latex, in illustrating one adaptation and use of the garment, I have shown the same as composed, for a major part, of all-way stretch fabric, except for a front irregular contoured panel 10 which may be of nylon or other lace-like material to give character and contour to the front of the garment.

The body portion of the garment is otherwise fashioned from two sides, namely the left side 11 and the right side 12, as clearly noted in FIG. 1 of the drawing. These sides join with a rear garment portion 13 in curved seams, one of which is diagrammatically indicated at 13 in FIG. 2 of the drawing. At this time, it is well to mention that no stitching is indicated in the accompanying drawing in order to simplify and not confuse the illustration.

The sides 11 and 12 are joined at the front below the panel 10, as indicated at 14 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. It will be noted that attachment of the panel 10 to the sides 11 and 12 is by way of a suitable reinforcing strip, diagrammatically illustrated at 15.

Attached to the seams 13' and extending onto 11 and 12, respectively, are panel strips, one of which is indicated at 16 in section in FIG. 4 of the drawing and indicated at the right of FIG. 1, the associated strip being indicated at 16' at the left of FIG. 1. One side edge of each of these strips conforms to the contour of the seams 13', as noted at the right of FIG. 2; whereas, the other side edge generally conforms to the contour of the seams 13, as diagrammatically indicated by the dotted line 17 in FIG. 2 and shown in full lines at 17 in FIG. 4. The corresponding seam of the opposed side is indicated at the left of FIG. 1 at 17 It will, thus, appear that, between the seams 13 and 17, 17', the portions of 11 and 12 overlying the panel strips 16, 16 can be defined as other panel portions 18, 18', the latter being indicated at the left of FIG. 1 of the drawing.

The two panels 16, 18; 16', 18 form therebetween chambers or pockets, as indicated at 19 in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing which open through the bottom of the garment and, while they can open through the top of the garment, they are preferably sealed at the top in the waistband portion'of the garment which includes a waistband on the inner surface thereof, as clearly indicated at 20 in FIG. 3 of the drawing and in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. This waistband extends across the panel 10, as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, and is made of any suitable extensible material to compensate for extension of the all-way stretch material employed in the garment.

The lower edges of the sides 11 and 12 are rounded, as noted at Hand 22 in FIG. 1 of the drawing and these rounded edges terminate in substantially straight up wardly extending ends, one of which is indicated at 23 in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

The lower edge of the rear portion 13 of the garment is also rounded, as indicated at 24, and this extends onto a rounded portion 25 at the lower edge of the panel 16, note FIG. 2, the latter terminating in a substantially straight upwardly extending end, as indicated at 26 in FIG. 2, the corresponding end of the opposed panel 16' being indicated at 26' in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

It will appear that the lower edge portions of the fronts 11 and 12 include finishing bands, as diagrammatically indicated at 27 in FIGS. 2 and 3, and similar bands 28 are at the lower edge portions of the back 13 and continue onto the lower edge portions of the panels 16, 16, the latter being indicated at the right of FIG. 2 of the drawing. The back 13 is reinforced by a supplemental reinforcing panel, generally diamond-shaped in contour. This panel is indicated, in part in section, at 29 in FIG. 4 of the drawing and one of the side edges thereof is indicated by the dotted lines 29' in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

The overlapped portions of the panels 16, 16'; 18, 18' terminate in their attachment with respect to each other at the points 30, 31 and 31, the point directly opposed to the point 30 not being illustrated but would be in direct alinement with the point 30 at the opposed side of the garment.

It will, thus, appear that each of the panels 16, 18; 16, 18' has free relative movement one with respect to the other midway of the sides of the garment when in use to compensate for free body bending and leg movement and this relative movement continues through the entire vertical sides of the garment but is of greater resistance by virtue of the direct attachment of sides of the panels with the body portions of the garment. By virtue of the latter construction, it will appear that the sides of the garment are well reinforced and, at the same time, sufficiently yieldable to provide movement in the garment to compensate for body movement Without displacing position of the garment upon the body of the wearer. Here, it should be kept in mind that the flared upper portions of the panels 16, 18; 16, 18 will serve to reinforce and strengthen the Waistband portion of the garment and materially aid in maintaining position of this waistband portion upon the body of the wearer.

It will also be understood that strains to which the lower portions of the garment are subjected are taken up, not only through the relatively movable overlapped panels but also through the body portions of the garment to which these panels are attached as, for example, at the seams 13, 13' and 17, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

While no attempt has been made to illustrate the opening of the chamber or pocket 19 at each side of the garment at the lower portion thereof, it will be understood that this opening would take place between the band 27 and the panel 16, as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

Considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that the panels 16-18 are vertically arranged and, by reason of the curved seams 17, 13, the panels are contracted centrally and have flared upper and lower end portions. It will be further noted that the lower ends or edges of the panels are wider than the upper ends thereof.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A girdle of the character described including front and rear body portions, each having a lower edge and upper end including a waistband portion, the sides of the girdle comprising a pair of overlapped relatively movable vertical panel portions of all-way stretch material, said panel portions extending from said lower edge of the girdle to the upper end and waistband portion thereof, the sides of the panel portions of each pair having flared upper and lower end portions, at least one of the panels in each pair being integral with one of said body portions, said overlapped panel portions in each pair forming chambers upper end thereof.

3. A girdle as defined in claim 1, wherein the front body portion includes centrally of the upper portion thereof a panel of non-extensible material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 595,554 Bond Dec. 14, 1897 1,584,434 Colley May 11, 1926 1,668,834 Ulman May 8, 1928 2,445,322 Fridolph July 20, 1948 2,529,115 Thalman Nov. 7, 1950 2,887,114 Baxter May 19, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,169,770 France Sept. 15, 1958 

